Decision on resumption of production at Kazakhstan’s Kashagan field to be made after January 15

The decision on resumption of production at Kazakhstan's Kashagan field will be made after January 15, 2014, after the results of an investigation into the cause of leaks is to be revealed, Managing Director of Samruk-Kazyna JSC Malik Salimgereev told journalists at a briefing in Astana on Dec.25, trend.az reports.

Salimgereev said that after a leak was detected on the main pipeline leading from the field, production wells were shut down. Work began to eliminate the leakage. Currently excavation work has been completed on the ground part of the gas pipeline, while similar work continues under investigation for pipe connection leaks.

The company's managing director stressed that work was carried out on in-line cleaning, as well as preparatory work for launching a polymer scraper. Magnetic powder and ultrasonic testing are being carried out on some sections of the pipeline.

"Six tests have been completed, and they confirm the absence of any leaks. The UK's Institute of Welding based in Cambridge is continuing to work on laboratory tests of pipe connections to determine the cause of the leakage. Preliminary reports on the results of diagnostics of pipeline scraper and analysis of the institute are expected in mid-January 2014," Salimgereev said.

Kashagan is a large oil and gas field in Kazakhstan, located in the north of the Caspian Sea. Its geological reserves are estimated at 4.8 billion tons of oil. The total oil reserves amount to 38 billion barrels or 6 billion tons, some 10 billion out of them are recoverable reserves. There are large natural gas reserves at the Kashagan field - over one trillion cubic metres.